An Unconventional Upbringing
by Uncertain Anonymous
Summary: In order for Harry Potter to live a free and happy life, the responsibility falls upon Poppy Pomfrey to raise him firmly and carefully. Or at least, that's how Poppy's determined to raise him. It may take more than a few coos and giggles to make her realize that there is more to raising a child than diapers and medicine. For thegenuineimitation's I Was Raised By Challenge.
1. Chapter 1

An Unconventional Upbringing

By EllaLewis

This story is written for thegenuineimitation's "I Was Raised By…" Challenge on the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum. This is the first chapter in what I hope to be a long story. I hope you enjoy this, thegenuineimitation. :) And yes, this will eventually be more than 1000 words. This chapter just happens to be an introduction.

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Chapter One

When Dumbledore had requested this of her, Poppy Pomfrey could only see he logistics in her mind. The Dursleys were, as McGonnagall had said, "the worse kind of muggles imaginable" as well as horribly prejudiced against magic folk and therefore thoroughly unfit to care for a child other than their own. The press and fan-farers, as well as those who remained loyal to You-Know-Who after he supposedly died, would immediately assume that someone as special and famous as Harry Potter would stay somewhere where his family's blood would keep him safe. However, Poppy's home was a small, heavily warded cottage in an undisclosed, safe location—a location that You-Know-Who himself had never even heard rumors of. After all, people always assumed the nurse came with the school, and thus lived at the school.

With these logistics firmly in place in her mind, Poppy had accepted Dumbledore's request.

Now, however, after Hagrid and Dumbledore gave her the most precious of packages and left, and as she held in her arms a small cloth-bundled baby boy with dainty hands and feet and a jagged, lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead, she wondered if she really was the right person for this particular job. Sure, she often felt as if the students she treated were her own, and she certainly was able to take care of them, but a baby? Poppy hadn't needed to take care of a baby since she had a brief stunt in Saint Mungo's maternity ward many, many years ago for only a short week.

She didn't know how she was supposed to cope with the full responsibility of the growth of a baby.

Sighing lightly, Poppy tucked the cloth a little bit tighter around the boy's neck, to keep the warmth in more efficiently. Thank goodness Poppy was able to take care of him, at least. Still, to raise him completely on her own… Why couldn't Remus have… No. No, there was no way that the Ministry would allow a werewolf to care for a child, even if they didn't know who it was. If they even had a clue about it, Remus would be in quite a deal of trouble, and Poppy wouldn't want that trouble on any of her former patients' behalf.

Poppy straightened her back as a new determination shook her. She was going to raise this boy, and she was going to raise him right. She might need to buy a few books within a few weeks or months, and she definitely needed some groceries, some toys, and a crib, but Poppy was going to do this. And with that thought in mind, she introduced herself to her new housemate.

"Hello, Harry Potter," she said in a stern, clear tone. "My name is Poppy Pomfrey, and I am taking care of you from now on. You'd better behave yourself, too."

Harry's only reply was a deep green stare and a soft coo.


	2. Chapter 2

An Unconventional Upbringing

By EllaLewis

This story is written for thegenuineimitation's "I Was Raised By…" Challenge on the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum. I hope you enjoy this, thegenuineimitation. :)

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Chapter Two

Harry Potter was a surprisingly quiet baby. Poppy had been expecting him to be one of the majority of babies she'd ever seen, who'd cried often for almost a whole hour. She'd only ever heard Harry cry whenever he needed changing or nutrients, and even then it stopped the second he realized he was going to get it.

Poppy didn't know if it was because he had already gotten Lily's smarts or because they'd raised him a particular way, but she was glad regardless. Had he been a loud baby, she would have completely lost her patience with him—never a good thing when it comes to babies.

As it was, her patience was slowly waning. Dumbledore had yet to respond to the letters she'd sent asking if she were to take Harry with her to Hogwarts for her coming year of nursing. Minerva wasn't responding to her letters, either. And to make things worse, Remus had yet to visit Harry and was starting to make absurd excuses for his absence. Honestly, she'd accept more readily that he was in grief of Lily, James, and Peter's deaths than his flimsy excuses of being busy with such ridiculous things as re-organizing his library.

Poppy huffed as she thought of that particular reason. Sensing her frustration, Harry cooed from the crib set up across the room. Upon hearing him, Poppy got up off of the couch and walked over to him. Harry cooed again once her face was in his line of sight, reaching up to grab at a stray lock of hair. Then, he giggled so cutely that Poppy was forced to smile, despite her strict demeanor.

Her patience was now renewed.


	3. Chapter 3

An Unconventional Upbringing

By EllaLewis

This story is written for thegenuineimitation's "I Was Raised By…" Challenge on the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum. A big thanks goes out to BITBIT as well, for reminding me that I have this chapter to upload XD

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Poppy stared blankly at the little boy in her arms. His eyes and mouth were open wide, as if he were horribly shocked, and he had completely frozen all movement.

"What?" she asked him cautiously, because there was just no way that this was his reaction to her telling him that they had to leave for Hogwarts tomorrow. There was _no possible way_ he had understood her—he was just a baby, for crying out loud!

In response to her question he tilted his head, stuck his thumb in his mouth, blinked his wide, wide eyes at her, and began twirling his legs as if on a bicycle. Poppy clicked her touch in reproof and pulled his thumb from his mouth, all the while wondering what _this_ reaction was. She really did _not _understand babies. And babies this age didn't understand her, either, so when Harry squealed out "Hah-woht" it was _not _his attempt at "Hogwarts."

Or… was it? Poppy didn't know what age babies began to speak—perhaps Harry was at the right age… This was cause for some research, actually. She'd have to resort to the books Minerva had sent her. She hadn't yet touched _those _books as the titles implied that human babies weren't humans at all, but some sort of mysterious and dangerous creature…

Regardless, they probably had the statistics she needed. As Harry rotated his legs in the air again, she wondered if they had any information on why he did _that,_ too.


	4. Chapter 4

An Unconventional Upbringing

By EllaLewis

This story is written for thegenuineimitation's "I Was Raised By…" Challenge on the Harry Potter Fanfiction Challenges Forum. This time, a big apology goes out to BITBIT, for not updating very often. I'm sorry!

DISCLAIMER: The statistics I've gathered are from , , and .gov. I don't own them. Nor do I own Harry Potter, despite the fact I've forgotten a disclaimer up until now. I do, however, own the virus I made up in this chapter.

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Chapter Four

Poppy was in a researching frenzy. Not only did she have to care for Harry at Hogwarts, trying to figure out a stable diet and schedule for the poor boy; she also had to deal with a long-defunct wizarding virus she'd barely known about that was now showing up throughout the school.

_The Poplomau Virus, which tragically wiped out nearly half of the wizarding world's infants from 1575 to 1601, quickly ran its course through any other age, even the elderly, within a few days. _

_Children ages 1 to 3 require 500 milligrams of calcium each day; from ages 4 to 8, the_ _requirement is 800 milligrams each day._

_The only reason the virus lasted very long was because the infants were afflicted for an average of seventeen months before they either recovered or died._

_Excessive amounts of milk (more than a quart per day) can interfere with the absorption of iron and cause intestinal bleeding._

_The virus now sees extinct. However, several Seers have predicted its revival._

_While there isn't a specific ratio of veggies, fruits, grains, and proteins that parents should try to feed their babies each day, it is important to ensure that a variety of foods are being offered regularly._

What if Harry caught the virus? What if she didn't feed him right, now that she was busy again? Was it really even a good idea to have given her the child?

Poppy was utterly conflicted.


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